WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday criticized insurance companies while calling for funds to go directly to individuals rather than insurers, as Democrats push for a three-year extension of expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans.
Trump made his comments during a White House event as Democrats in the Senate prepare to vote this week on extending the COVID-era subsidies, though the measure is unlikely to pass due to insufficient Republican support.
The subsidies, which help offset premium costs for the plans, also known as Obamacare, are set to expire at the end of the year, potentially impacting up to 24 million individuals reliant on the program.
A recent poll by health-research firm KFF found that about one-fourth of Obamacare enrollees would forgo coverage in 2026 if the subsidies expire and premiums double. Most beneficiaries want Congress to extend the subsidies, the poll found.
Republicans, under an agreement reached last month to end a record 43-day government shutdown, promised Democrats a vote on healthcare subsidies. However, key GOP figures, including U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, have championed an alternative proposal focused on directing funds into health savings accounts rather than extending the subsidies.
Cassidy, a physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, argues this approach gives patients more control over healthcare spending.
Critics say the proposal could disproportionately benefit higher-income individuals while forcing lower-income Americans to shift toward short-term or high-deductible insurance plans.
They warn that many low-income consumers, who currently pay little to nothing for coverage, could face significant new out-of-pocket costs if the subsidies lapse. Currently, no Obamacare participant pays more than 8.5% of their income on premiums, but that limit will end if lawmakers do not extend the subsidies.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein and Jasper Ward; Editing by Katharine Jackson and Bill Berkrot)
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